Well, that wasn't fun. Lots of traffic and a 27 mile gradual climb into time station 40, Greensburg, Indiana, home of... well... other than time station 40, I'm not really sure. From here, Rob has about 3.5 hours to the Ohio border.
The next 36 hours will be critical for Rob. Sleep decisions will be weighed against how he feels and a desire to pick up as many miles as possible. It's a very thin line that only Rob can truly navigate, but his crew will always make sure any decision are made with his safety in mind.
I think it's safe to say that, barring a blow up from Strebel, Kaiser or O'Keefe, Rob will not contend for sixth place. Anything is possible however, and while I would never wish anything bad on any of the other RAAM competitors, racers have had meltdowns in the late stages of RAAM. One of the most famous was a guy name Mark Patten, who in 1999, dropped out at the 2,788 mile mark. His team could not get him back on the bike.
In this race, anything can happen right up until the very end. Rob sure knows this. The best strategy for him is to keep maintaining this steady, solid pace, leave something in the tank for the grinding climbs in West Virginia and Maryland, stay safe and let the chips fall where they may.
3 comments:
Look @ that tan!
Can't tell you how much I'm enjoying these posts Bill, this is the closest I will ever get to experiencing this race & your histoty, vivid details, humor, really help us live this race with Rob, all LIVE!
Rob is a true inspiration!!Go man go~
-Wayne Hammond
Go Rob! You're a monster, brother. So impressed with your steely determination. You're on the back nine now for sure. Keep up the amazing work. Lots of folks out here rooting for you!
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